A sustainable toothbrush made of bamboo is an eco-dental care essential—but what about a bamboo toothbrush with added buzz?
I.e. the bamboo electric toothbrush.
Wait, is that actually a thing?
Sort of. There are electric toothbrushes partly made from bamboo—namely the toothbrush heads and parts of the handle—but it’s not the only material that goes into electric toothbrushes.
And materials matter, especially when we’re talking about ways to avoid both plaque and plastic. In the US alone, a whopping 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away each year. If you placed them end-to-end, they’d wrap around the world four times!
Fortunately, some brands are focusing on not just the benefits of bamboo for planet-friendly plaque removal but also ethical labor and responsible packaging. And we’re brushing away the grime to show you who they are.
In the coming months, we’ll be using our new Brand Rating System, looking at a range of eco-related criteria, including climate impact and chemical use. For more information on this system, check out our explainer.
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The Best Bamboo Electric Toothbrush For Planet-Friendly Pearly Whites
Sustainable Tomorrow’s bamboo electric toothbrush features FSC-certified bamboo brush heads that are compostable and biodegradable.
Better & Better’s sonic bamboo electric toothbrush reaches a top speed of 38,000 strokes per minute and is made of BPA-free plastic with replaceable bamboo brush heads.
Index: Electric Bamboo Toothbrushes
- Sustainable Tomorrow Jump to brand
- etee Jump to brand
- Fayet Jump to brand
- Better & Better Jump to brand
- PearlBar Jump to brand
Sustainable Tomorrow
About Sustainable Tomorrow
Price Range: $100
Sustainable Tomorrow has the future of our planet in mind with its range of zero waste kitchen and bathroom essentials.
With five different cleaning modes (Clean, White, Polish, Sensitive, and Gum Care) and three speed settings reaching up to 40,000 VPMs, their electric bamboo toothbrush will have your teeth sparkling in no time—in two minutes to be precise, if you use the built-timer.
A full charge will give you 30 days of sustainable scrubbing, and each brush comes with four replaceable bamboo brush heads (lasting three months each).
Sustainable Tomorrow’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
The bamboo electric toothbrush heads are made from FSC-certified bamboo with castor seed oi bristles. They can be composted at home, where they’ll take 6 months to decompose.
The toothbrush handle is made of plastic, to protect the electrical components and gain the IPX7 rating.
Each toothbrush comes in zero-waste packaging.
Already own a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush?
Give it an eco-friendly spruce up with Sustainable Tomorrow’s Philip Sonicare compatible bamboo brush heads.
etee
About etee’s Bamboo Toothbrush Electric
Price Range: $21 (3 pack of heads)
A favorite ethical alternative to Amazon, this zero waste shop offers eco-home essentials including zero-waste cleaning products, eco-friendly toiletries, and more.
Now etee doesn’t actually make an electric toothbrush (they used to) but what they do offer are compostable bamboo heads. You just have to make sure their heads are compatible with your current toothbrush base.
etee’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
The bamboo toothbrush heads are 98% compostable. You need to remove the castor oil bristles with a pair of pliers first, then the rest of the brush head can then be added to your compost heap.
Fayet
About Fayet
Price Range: $140
Fayet’s low-noise Bamboo Sonic Electric Toothbrush features five cleaning modes, a long-lasting battery, USB charging, and three bamboo electric toothbrush heads.
Reaching up to 39,000 strokes for powerful cleaning, it also suspends vibrations every 30 seconds as a reminder to move on to cleaning the next area.
Fayet’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
The waterproof body of the Fayet bamboo electric toothbrush is made from recyclable plastic and the replaceable brush heads are made from bamboo with PBT, charcoal, or nylon bristles (depending on the head type).
The electric bamboo toothbrush set is packaged in biodegradable cardboard and a fully charged battery will last around 40 days.
Better & Better
About Better & Better
Price Range: $60
Better & Better’s sonic bamboo electric toothbrush has five cleaning modes, a two-minute timer, and a rechargeable battery that lasts 30-40 days on a single charge.
With up to 38,000 strokes per minute, this has one of the most oscillations on the market.
Each toothbrush set comes with a USB charging lead, charging base, power plug, and two bamboo toothbrush heads.
Better & Better’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Personal care brand Better & Better is committed to making eco-friendly products: bamboo toothbrushes, natural toothpaste, and plant-based floss.
The bamboo brush heads feature soft castor bean oil bristles to “create less waste when you replace”.
The electric toothbrush is made from BPA-free plastic and comes with a six-month protection plan as standard. For subscribers, this is extended to a two-year protection plan.
Via a partnership with One Tree Planted, a tree is planted for every subscription.
PearlBar
About PearlBar
Price Range: $120
Keep your pearly whites sustainably shiny with PearlBar’s electric toothbrush.
The sonic toothbrush features five brushing modes, three cleaning speeds, and three bamboo replaceable heads each with a different purpose: plaque removal, sensitivity, and whitening.
Pearlbar’s Ethical & Sustainability Practices
Pearlbar’s bamboo electric toothbrush and charging dock are made from plastic and metals. The main body has a one-year warranty and can be recycled at the end of its life.
The replaceable bamboo brush heads are 100% biodegradable and can be composted at home once the nylon bristles and cornstarch insert have been removed.
Why Choose An Eco-Friendly Bamboo Electric Toothbrush
Every plastic toothbrush ever made still exists.
Around 50 million pounds of them end up in US landfills each year, with more still finding their way into the environment, adding to plastic pollution and posing a threat to wild creatures.
Swapping to an eco-friendly bamboo toothbrush is one way to avoid both plaque and plastic, but which is more sustainable: bamboo toothbrush or electric?
If you’re looking for a toothbrush that has as minimal an impact on the planet as possible, then hands-down a manual fully compostable bamboo toothbrush is the way to go. One with replaceable bamboo heads is best, minimizing consumable parts and keeping the handle in use as long as possible.
Is a bamboo brush worth it?
Manual bamboo toothbrushes are currently the best option if you’re looking for plastic-free plaque removal. Bamboo’s antibacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-microbial properties make it an ideal material for oral hygiene. Plus, it’s 100% compostable.
Is an electric toothbrush better than a bamboo one?
For the planet, no.
Because there is no such thing as a totally wooden electric toothbrush, the extra components and battery mean that there’s a lot more to consider in terms of raw materials, manufacturing, and end-of-life recycling/disposal.
If you can manage without an electric toothbrush, do so.
But if your dentist has recommended one or you can’t imagine brushing without the buzz, try a bamboo replacement for electric toothbrushes made of plastic.
Are bamboo toothbrushes good for your teeth?
While bamboo has anti-microbial properties it’s really about the bristles (not the handle, to state the obvious), and the materials used for the bristles differ by brand, with castor oil seed bristles being a current favorite among sustainable electric toothbrush brands.
Whether we’re talking about a manual or electric toothbrush, bamboo is a great material. But not all bamboo toothbrushes are created equally (read: quality differs by brand), so it’s a good idea to do your research and buy from a reputable brand.
